Bubble tray and support structure



Aug. 21, 1951 3 300 2,565,355

BUBBLE TRAY AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed April 1, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 1 2a 5 /0 4 If 7 4 /0 2a 6 4 6 5 2. ,9 9 .5 /2 /2 l A? 0 E 2 6 4 l3 l5 9 n ZQ & v

Aug. 21, 1951 G. B. COOK BUBBLE TRAY AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed April 1, 1948 III 111' 3 Sheets$heet 2 ay 1e 4/ f 6 5 Aug. 21, 1951 e. B. cooK 2,565,355

BUBBLE TRAY AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed April 1, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. *3

Patented Aug. 21, 1951 BUBBLE TRAY AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE George B. Cook, Summit, N. J'., assignor to Standard Oil Development Company,

of Delaware a corporation Application April 1, 1948, Serial No. 18,357

6 Claims.

Ti 1e present invention relates to improvements in bubble tray construction whereby the need for heavy trays or individual structural supports therefore are substantally eliminated. More particularly, the invention relates toa form of construction by which the bubble trays .or plates are supported in pairs by primary support means common to both trays in each pair.

In the conventional bubble tower, the tray elements ordinarily are either constructed of relatively thick metal so as to be self-supporting, or are individually supported on support members such as trusses or beams. In either instance, the tray or the support means must be of relatively heavy construction not only for rigidity and strength, but also to allow for wear imposed primarily by corrosion. Although the' use of corroslon resistant materials such as stainless steel and other metal alloys would avoid the corrosion problem, the requirements for strength and rigid ity prevent the use of such metals because of the cost involved by the large quantities which-would be required.

I; is an object of the present invention to provide the means whereby, without sacrifice of strength and rigidity, relatively lightweight structural elements may beutilized for the construction of bubble trays and their supporting structures, including corrosion res'stant materials, and without reduction of any necessary factors of safety. It is a further object of the invention to prc vide a structure in which the interference of supporting elements for the trays is reduced to a minimum, and in which the overall weight and size of a bubble tower may be substantially reduced, with a consequent saving in cost.

The invention and its objects may be more readily understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a. vertical section through a portion of a bubble tower equipped with plates or trays according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a pair of bubble trays, and their supporting elements, mounted in a tower, and with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the structural elements as shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of an alternate form of assembly.

In the drawings, the numeral l designates the shell of a bubble tower provided with a vertical series of bubble trays or plates 2 and 3, each of which is conventionally equipped with bubble cap elements 4,- downcomers 5 and weirs 6. Manheads I are provided in the side wall of the tower l to permit access to the space between plates. .Although only a portion of the tower is shown, it is to be understood that the tower may be of any desired dimensions, and that the transverse plates or trays may be mounted therein throughout the height of the tower.

As shown, each pair of trays 2 and 3 constitutes an assembled unit with one or more truss members and supplementary supporting elements. The truss members are formed of upper chord elements 8 and lower chord elements 8 joined by struts Ill and cross frame members I I. These elements may be simple angle iron elements assembled in accordance with conventional practice as required for the loads to be supported. For example, in a tower about 16 feet in diameter, the chords 8 and 9 may be formed of angle iron 3" x 3" x while the strut and cross frame members may be of angle iron 4" x4" x and 3" x 3" x respectively. With such construction, it is possible to provide for a free space between plates of approximately 21 inches with an overall distance between plates of only 24 inches as compared with an overall distance of'30 inches required by conventional construction in which the supporting beams would have a depth of about 11 to 12 inches.

Each truss member is supported at its opposite ends by means of spaced angle supports l2 secured to the inner surface of the tower wall, the respective chord members of the truss being bolted to these supports as shown in Fig. 3. Where required, supplementary supports l3 may be provided for the trays 2 and 3 and these elements are ordinarily required where, as shown in Fig. 2. the trays are sectional in character. These supplementary supports also may be formed of an le iron, and in the tower referred to above would normaly be about 2" x 2" x V2", spaced at about 12" intervals. Each support as shown is secured between truss members by bolting to lugs or angular clips H secured to the chords 8 and 9 or to the tower side wall in similar fashion. Various other means for joining the several elements of the truss, members and the supplementary supports to each other and to the tower, such as riveting and welding, may be utilized if convenient and desired.

The trays 2 and 3 may be of generally standard design, whether unitary or sectional in character, and may be secured to the truss members and the supplementary supports l3 by bolting, riveting or otherwise. As shown, individual tray element sections are spot welded to the supporting elements as at 8a, 9a, and Ba, but other means may be utilized, particularly where a fluid tight relationship is essential, or where provision must be made for extensive differential expansion and contraction of parts. In order to provide a seal between the tower wall and the edge portions of the plates 2 and 3, the edge portions are formed with an upturned flange or curb 2a and 3a cooperating with an annular inverted L shaped plate seal l5 secured to the tower wall. The outermost portions of each plate are supported on an annular ring member i6 secured to the inner surface of the tower at approximately the level of the supplementary supports l3.

In the form of construction illustrated by Fig. 4, the truss supporting members are arranged as a spider having a hexagonal center [6 carried by radially disposed elements H which engage and are secured to angular supports 22 in turn secured to the inner surface of the tower wall as illustrated in Fig. 3. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, supplementary supports 23, disposed to conform to the spider arrangement of the truss members are secured to the truss members and irmer wall of the tower in similar fashion. The hexagonal center portion 16 and radially disposed elements I! are truss members equivalent in every structural respect to the truss support members formed as shown'in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 by means of the elements 8, 9, l0 and II. The angular supports 22 and supplementary supports 23, as shown in Fig. 4, are the full equivalents of the comparable elements designated by the numerals I2 and [3 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Likewise, in a structure according to Fig. 4, the bubble tray assembly will include an upper plate member and a lower plate member supported respectively on the upper and lower chord elements of the truss members l6 and II in the manner previously described.

In assembling the structure illustrated and described, it is preferred to work' upwardly from the bottom of the tower. The lower chord '9 of each pair in a truss member is first set in place, being introduced through'a man head I. The supplementary supports l3 are then introduced and secured. Where a unitary plate is to be used, this is introduced from the top of the tower and separately suspended or supported with reference to the truss chord 9. The struts l0 and crossframe members I I, are then attached to the chord member 9, and the upper chord 8 is then set in place and secured to its supports l2 and to the struts and crossframe members. The supplementary plate supports l3 for the upper plate are then added. With the truss assembled, the lower plate may be set in place to be fully supported by the truss on its lower chord. The upper plate then may be added to the assembly and all final connections and adjustments may be made. Each pair of plates and their supporting structure may be thus assembled from bottom to top, it being understood, of course, that each lower plate will be provided with suitable perforations, or openings, to permit insertion of the struts and crossframe members as required.

Where sectional plates are used, the truss 4 members and other plate support elements may be installed in any desired sequence, and the plate sections later introduced through the man heads I.

Although illustrated and described with reference to a specific type of apparatus, the invention is not intended to be limited to such use or arrangement, but only by the appended claims. Various modifications and rearrangements of the structural elements set forth, particularly of the nature illustrated by Fig. 4, may be made and all the advantages of the invention retained.

I claim:

1. In a bubble tower having a vertical cylindrical wall, a pair of bubble trays arranged transversely in vertically spaced relation, said trays each extending over substantially the entire crosssection of the tower, a tray support assembly for said pair of trays comprisin upper and lower truss chord elements extending completely across the tower, and a plurality of truss struts secured at their ends to the respective chord elements, joining said chord elements in fixed, vertically spaced relation, and forming therewith a unitary open-frame truss member, the upper and lower trays of said pair being adjacent and secured directly to the upper and lower chord elements respectively, the truss member forming a rigid support for both trays in a unit.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the truss member is substantially in the form of a spider comprising a center portion concentric with the tower, and a plurality of arm portions extending outwardly therefrom into supported contact with the tower walls.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the center portion is a regular polygon.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 in whic said arm portions extend radially outward from the center portion.

5. In a bubble tower having a vertical cylindrical wall, pairs of circular bubble trays arranged transversely in vertically spaced relation, said trays extending over substantially the entire cross-section of the tower, a tray support assembly for each pair of trays comprising upper and lower truss chord elements, secured at their 0pposite ends to the wall and extending completely across the tower, and a plurality of truss struts secured at their ends to the respective chord elements, joining said chord elements in fixed, vertically spaced relation, and forming therewith at least one unitary, open-frame truss member between paired trays, the upper and lower trays of each pair being adjacent and secured directly to the upper and lower chord elements respectively, the truss member forming arigid sup port for both trays in a unit, marginal support means for the trays and truss support member secured interiorly of the tower, and seal means peripherally of each tray establishing a liquid seal between each tray and the tower wall.

6. In a bubble tower having a vertical cylindrical wall, pairs of generally circular bubble trays arranged transversely in vertically spaced relation, said trays each extending over substantially the entire cross-section of the tower, a tray support assembly for each pair of trays comprising upper and lower truss chord elements extending completely across the tower, and a plurality of truss struts secured at their ends to the respective chord elements, joining said chord elements in fixed, vertically spaced relation and forming therewith at least one uni-- tary, open-frame truss member between paired trays, the upper and lower trays of each pair being adjacent and secured directly to the upper and lower chord elements respectively, the truss member forming a rigid support for both trays in a unit, supplementary support means extending substantially at right angles from said upper and lower chord elements in each truss member, marginal support means for the assembly secured to the tower walls, said truss member, and the outer ends of said supplementary support means, and seal means peripherally of each tray establishing a liquid seal between each plate and the tower wall.

GEORGE B. COOK.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file or this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,867,208 Campbell July 12, 1932 2,210,808 Glitsch Aug. 6, 1940 2,306,367 Benson et a] Dec. 29, 1942 2,341,091 Glitsch Feb. 8, 1944 

